Zynga and the Rise of the New Gamer
If Farmville isn't that fun, why are so many people playing it?
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If Farmville isn't that fun, why are so many people playing it?
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Zynga and the Rise of the New Gamer
- Thread starter Shamus Young
- Start date
Couldn't put it up in a better time. Zynga does make games like that but some people, (most people on the Escapist) don't find that fun, it's just "a mindless boring chore". That remindes me, if Yahtzee ever reviews anything by Zynga, I'll start playing it (because he never will).
(I think you forgot to mention, if you want really good stuff in FarmVille, you have to pay in FarmVille cash, which is worth as ordinary cash after it has been accidentally dropped in a volcano)
(I think you forgot to mention, if you want really good stuff in FarmVille, you have to pay in FarmVille cash, which is worth as ordinary cash after it has been accidentally dropped in a volcano)
The lesson has already been learned by other industries. Make something cheap and they'll spend a fortune on it, defend it to the hilt and scoff at those who pay extra.
MMOs have been doing it for decades. Tesco/Walmart do it.
Of course, no-one looks into the dodgy business practices behind it because "LOL ITS GRATE LOL".
Also see English Tabloids, Italian Football, Supermarket Alcohol, James Patterson novels, Reality TV. Selling things to people who don't like things.
Sell it cheap and pile it high. The LCD will always bring you profit.
Of course, it does mean that everyone has to put up with the domination of the industry by cheap and cheerful; but that doesn't matter as it was only a small % that we lost from our profit margins.
And you can always sell them games as art.
The strange thing is, the games industry started on it. Look at how Space Invaders and Pacman dominated. Simple controls, simple action, flashing lights, cheap games.
And it nearly bust Japan.
MMOs have been doing it for decades. Tesco/Walmart do it.
Of course, no-one looks into the dodgy business practices behind it because "LOL ITS GRATE LOL".
Also see English Tabloids, Italian Football, Supermarket Alcohol, James Patterson novels, Reality TV. Selling things to people who don't like things.
Sell it cheap and pile it high. The LCD will always bring you profit.
Of course, it does mean that everyone has to put up with the domination of the industry by cheap and cheerful; but that doesn't matter as it was only a small % that we lost from our profit margins.
And you can always sell them games as art.
The strange thing is, the games industry started on it. Look at how Space Invaders and Pacman dominated. Simple controls, simple action, flashing lights, cheap games.
And it nearly bust Japan.
I once tried to play Farmville, I played for 2 minutes, went off to do something else and 2 weeks later came back thinking I would have a lush eden only to find it all fucking dead!
I have never played another Facebook game since. I just don't find that kind of thing fun
That will not stop it being popular though
I have never played another Facebook game since. I just don't find that kind of thing fun
That will not stop it being popular though
This is why I'm glad I started gaming at a very young age... I mean, when I was in kindergarten I was playing Sesame Street and Pajama Sam point and click adventure games, then I got a GameCube and Pikmin, then I got Call of Duty, then I got Resident Evil 4. I basically worked my way up from the very bottom, so advancing at a slow pace like that came naturally to me. Now I can pick up nearly any game and play it without even glancing at the manual.
Similar to Animal Crossing, I see. It makes you play every single day, and that's what gets you. Then it becomes routine.TimeLord said:
My god, I'm suprised people play Farmville when they can play Simcity which is the same fucking game but not hacked to be on HYPERBILIOTRONICAL EASY MODE and doesn't demand constant attention.
In fact, Zynga's a little late to the party. They just got the bigger non-gamer demographic, non-gamers with computers, decent internet and can play flash games on them. Nintendo was already targeting this audience, however the barrier of console gaming for all non-gamers and gamers alike (you can't upgrade a PS2 into a PS3 by buying the more advanced processors, graphics cards and higher RAM) makes it a lot more limited.
In fact, Zynga's a little late to the party. They just got the bigger non-gamer demographic, non-gamers with computers, decent internet and can play flash games on them. Nintendo was already targeting this audience, however the barrier of console gaming for all non-gamers and gamers alike (you can't upgrade a PS2 into a PS3 by buying the more advanced processors, graphics cards and higher RAM) makes it a lot more limited.
"So Zynga took a simple game dynamic we're all familiar with and made it available to everyone..."
Actually they took someone else's simple game dynamic (see FarmTown) and advertised it better. What I'm afraid of is that this "off-the-shelf" synonym for passing off someone else's game as your own becomes seen as acceptable.
Actually they took someone else's simple game dynamic (see FarmTown) and advertised it better. What I'm afraid of is that this "off-the-shelf" synonym for passing off someone else's game as your own becomes seen as acceptable.
Even though there isn't anything specifically untrue in this article, it doesn't really mention that the reason the gameplay isn't innovative isn't because they were trying to make an accessible sim adaptation, but because forcing someone to come back (even in the middle of the night) every few hours to accomplish simple tasks keeps the eyeballs coming back to see all the ads, without scaring them away with difficulty.
The entire purpose of farmville is to keep people coming back at a regular clip to stare at all the ads. It isn't meant to be innovative (of course), but it also isnt meant to be accessible. Accessibility (and lack of difficulty) is merely a side effect of making sure that no one stops looking at the ads because the "game" part is too hard.
That's why Zynga is less not revolution in "gaming," per se, but is a revolution in targeted marketing.
The entire purpose of farmville is to keep people coming back at a regular clip to stare at all the ads. It isn't meant to be innovative (of course), but it also isnt meant to be accessible. Accessibility (and lack of difficulty) is merely a side effect of making sure that no one stops looking at the ads because the "game" part is too hard.
That's why Zynga is less not revolution in "gaming," per se, but is a revolution in targeted marketing.
the man speaks the truth
maybe Sony n M$ could supply a demo disc with all games, that has a little bit of 1st person, 3rd person, driving, flying, platform and talks the player through it all with detailed none condescending instructions
maybe Sony n M$ could supply a demo disc with all games, that has a little bit of 1st person, 3rd person, driving, flying, platform and talks the player through it all with detailed none condescending instructions
Listen, a causal flash game that resides in a social network in a browser is not the same a a game that companies like Valve and BioWare make. Not only that but Zynga does a shoddy job of maintaining that thing that they call a game. I started playing and not even two minutes in it glitched up, force refreshed my page, and I lost all progress.
Zynga isn't a game developer and a poor developer of facebook apps.
Zynga isn't a game developer and a poor developer of facebook apps.
Very interesting article, and it makes you think. I still don't like Zynga or Farmville, but I guess I can see the need to have it now. I've said for a while that casual gaming is really a gateway wherein we get new gamers, but I guess I never really made the connection with Zynga before.
You do realise that Farm Ville is totally ripped off from Farm Town, right?
Same with Mafia Wars and Mob Wars?
Jeez, wish the Escapist would hire some writers who actually knew the background of whatever they were talking about.
Same with Mafia Wars and Mob Wars?
Jeez, wish the Escapist would hire some writers who actually knew the background of whatever they were talking about.
Ouch careful, granted Zynga nicked those ideas but even so Shamus made some good points.JordanMillward_1 said:
I don't like Zynga much, but I don't wanna fire up FarmVille in case I get addicted. It has to be said, Zynga is good at what it does.
If only Zynga weren't a shovelware producing, technology cloning, ripoff producing pile of scammers then maybe I'd be a little more willing to hear them out.
My Mum loves FarmVille. Apparently crops can be planted that take only a few minutes or several days to grow. If you don't come back and harvest within a predefined time frame, they die. That is the point. She has never spent a penny on the game and has played it regularly for months.
I do have friends (in their 30s-40s who could in no way be called gamers) who play FV in competition with each other. Some of them have spent oodles of real cash to buy farmcash. These guys spend hours playing daily.
Innovative? No, but they don't know or care. I wouldn't care either if Zynga hadn't been able to beat Square and look to be beating Valve. Lot's of people spend excessive time and money on games that I think suck.
I do have friends (in their 30s-40s who could in no way be called gamers) who play FV in competition with each other. Some of them have spent oodles of real cash to buy farmcash. These guys spend hours playing daily.
Innovative? No, but they don't know or care. I wouldn't care either if Zynga hadn't been able to beat Square and look to be beating Valve. Lot's of people spend excessive time and money on games that I think suck.